Beschreibung:

ALBERTI, Leon Battista. L'Architecture et art de bien bastir. Paris: R. Massellin for Jacques Kerver 1553.
ALBERTI, Leon Battista. L'Architecture et art de bien bastir. Paris: R. Massellin for Jacques Kerver 1553. 2° (329 x 219 mm). Title within woodcut border of scrollwork and figures, with Kerver’s initials at the head, oval woodcut medallion portrait of Alberti on verso of title, 2 woodcut plans (one double-page), 94 woodcut illustrations (45 full-page), woodcut headpieces and initials. (Last leaf with hole affecting colophon and laid down covering Kerver’s unicorn device, O7 with small hole affecting a few letters, F2 trimmed closely touching image, some light browning and staining a few marginal tears.) Old calf (worn, covers detached.) Provenance : some early marginal especially to m2 recto; John Crichton-Stuart, 2nd Marquess of Bute (1793-1848) (Luton library, armorial bookplate); James Grote Vanderpool (ownership inscription). FIRST EDITION IN FRENCH printed in roman type with charming headpieces and initials. Published after the death of translator Jean Martin, whose translations of Serlio and of Vituvius had appeared previously. Approximately half of the illustrations are based on those made for the first Italian translation of 1550; the rest are largely derived from Serlio's Book III and the 1521 and 1548 editions of Vitruvius. The initials are from the set designed by Kerver for his 1546 edition of the “Hypnerotomachia.” Adams A-490; Brunet I:131; Cicognara 374; Fowler 7; Millard French 2; Mortimer French 12.